Love Family Style
by writestories315
Summary: Ever wonder where and how the Rabb family got started.
1. First Generation

Title - Love Family Style - First Generation

Classification - S, R (slight Harm and Mac)

Spoilers - Full Engagement

Disclaimer - I own nothing. Nor do I admit to owning anything. If I really owned anything do you think it would take me 15 years to pay back my students loans.

Summery - Ever wonder where and how the Rabb family got started.

Author's Notes - The song Love Me by Collin Raye was the inspiration for this and lyrics are thrown into the story.

**written in 2002/2003 - un-beta**

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**Rabb Farm**

**Belleville, Pennsylvania**

**Friday July 5, 2002**

"Harmon, if you want unconditional love get a puppy. If you want love that's going to last a lifetime get your soulmate." Sarah Rabb told her grandson as they sat on the back porch and watched Sergie and his girlfriend Evelyn ride horses behind the farm.

"It's not that easy, Grandma." Harm whined to her.

"If love was meant to be easy it would be called something else."

Harm smiled, "Mom told me that once."

"She had you father say it to her, who heard me say it to him, who had your grandfather tell it to me." She said with a smile on her face, thinking about her late husband.

"Tell me about you and grandpa?" Harm asked.

"Why do you want to hear an old lady ramble?" She asked her grandson knowing that they've never really talked about him in the past few years.

Harm smiled at her and explained, "So when my wife is your age she can tell our grandson the story of his great-great-grandparents."

"So your going to get married one day?" She teased her still-unattached grandson. "OK Honey I'll tell you the story."

"The year was 1935 and I was 16 that year, while David was 18. He lived just down the road from our farm, a few miles. My father hated him, but there was something about this blue-eyed boy that I was in love with. Hells bells, any girl with a heart was in love with Mr. David Rabb, but he only had eyes for me. He said once that my smile took him places his planes couldn't. I told him he was full of bull."

Harm just laughed as he listened the words she was saying.

"All through school David was after me, asking for help on homework or just plan flirting. He was the first boy I ever kissed. And let me tell you something, the boy could kiss. I told you mother it was in the Rabb genes, but I'm sure some young lady has all ready told you that, Harmon." She played with her grandson as he just blushed.

"Well, during school and in the hot summer of that year I would sneak out of my bedroom in the middle of the night and meet David under this tree. One night he surprised me and carved our initials in it. I thought it was the sweetest thing he could have ever done for me. When I finished my chores, I would tell Daddy I was meeting Luanne or Lela. But I was meeting my David. He had my heart and I had his." Sarah then paused, "He still does have mine?"

"One night Daddy caught us at the tree and swore that he ever saw Mr. David Rabb around his little girl he was going shot him full of holes. He would make a strainer look like a bowl." Sarah then laughed, "Your great-granddaddy did have a way with words."

"I went two weeks that summer without seeing my David. Lela and Luanne were about ready kill me, cause all I would talk about was my David. So I started to sneak down to the tree to touch our initials and leave him love notes. We never signed our names, we were scared Daddy would catch us. We signed them, Love, Me."

"There was one note that David left me where he proposed. He said that he couldn't image a life without me. Without me next to him, without me loving him. He said he would give up his planes for me. He promised me a house full of kids with his eyes and my smile, all who of course would grow up and join the Navy and be aviators." Sarah then grabbed Harms hand, "He did it after time."

"But back to the story." She smiled. "We agreed on a date and time of when we would do it. We promised to meet at our tree and runaway. When we got to the first town we saw we would get married and live there forever." She then frowned, "For some reason with his great kissing ability came the ability to always be late."

Harm then started laughing at that thinking of himself.

"Well, I got to our tree on time. I got away from Daddy and I found a note." She then paused, "Let me see if I remember those words." She then took a deep breath, "If you get there before I do, don't give up on me. I'll meet you when my chores are through. I don't know how long I'll be. But I'm not gonna let you down. Darling, wait and see and between now and then. Till I see you again I'll be loving you. Love, Me."

She then wiped a tear from her eye. "I read that note a hundred times before he got there. He kissed me and we ran away. We ended up in Belleville, got married, bought this farm. Nine months later your father was born. I never saw David so happy, then when he held Harmon in his arms."

"David gave me everything he promised. My house, my kid who felt like a housefull of them. He even gave me you and Sergie with my smile and his eyes. When David bought that plane, he was on leave one time, I could have shot him. In fact by that time Daddy had forgiven David for stealing his little girl. So much so Daddy gave me the shot gun to use on him."

Harm just laughed imagining his grandmother with a shot gun.

Then she lost her smile, "When he died I thought my world died. But your father came up to me the day we found out and said, 'It's OK Ma'ma. Daddy's just waiting for you to finish your chores.' I never read David's letter to your father. But that night I read it for the first time since we got married. I felt David in the room, holding on to me."

Harm then leaned and kissed his grandmothers cheek. "Is he still around?" Harm asked.

"Every time your here my David comes, cause he's part of you just like your father." She said to him tapping on his heart.

"At David's funeral the whole town came out. Old Mister Tellions, he said that David talked him into selling his dear plane to him as a gift for me. David told Mister Tellions that being in the air was like being with his wife, free and off the ground." She said with a far away look in her eyes.

"At the funeral I was presented the flag and then I asked if I could read something for David. Back then you didn't do that, I was a rebel. I reached into my pocket and pulled out David's letter that he wrote me and I repeated those words back to him. If you get there before I do, don't give up on me. I'll meet you when my chores are through. I don't know how long I'll be. But I'm not gonna let you down. Darling, wait and see and between now and then. Till I see you again I'll be loving you. Love, Me."

"Those words still bring tears to my eyes. It was the first time your father saw me cry. It wasn't the last." Sarah said to him. "And I hope that someday my grandson will hear this story about his great-great-grandparents and how important love is."

"I promise." Harm said to her.

She raised an eyebrow, "Can I recommend a girl for ya? She's nice, sweet, and I know personally that her name goes great with Rabb." Harm then covered his face and Sarah Rabb smiled at the thought of her grandson happily married one day.

**The End**


	2. Second Generation

Title - Love Family Style - Second Generation

Classification - S, R (slight Harm and Mac)

Spoilers - not really sure, but I'm something

Disclaimer - I own nothing. Nor do I admit to owning anything. If I really owned anything do you think it would take me 15 years to pay back my students loans.

Summery - Ever wonder where and how Harm's Parents meet.

Author's Notes - The songs Jacob's Ladder By Mark Wills and Not That Different by Collin Raye were the inspirations for this and lyrics are thrown into the story. To see how Grandma and Grandpa Rabb meet please read Love Family Style - First Generation

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**Harm's Apartment**

**North of Union Station**

**Friday August 16, 2002**

**6:15 PM**

"So did you and Sergie have a nice visit with Grandma Sarah over the fourth?" Trish Brunette asked as Harm changed out of his uniform.

"Yeah, we did. He brought Evelyn. Grandma seemed to like her." Harm said as he walked out of his bedroom in a blue pullover shirt and jeans. "You really don't mind pizza?"

"Pizza is fine Darling. Frank and I rarely order it. But I want pepperoni on it." Trish looked at him with a grin.

Harm laughed as he called the pizza place, "Hi. This is Harmon Rabb. Hey Cathy, you finally got your voice back. No, not the usual. I'll take a large half veggie half pepperoni. Very funny. Yeah, thanks. OK. Bye." Then he hung up the phone.

"You know the pizza people by name?" Trish said to her son.

Harm smiled at her, "Usually Mac and I end up ordering when we're working on a case. They now have it on their menu. The Half and Half. Half plant eater, half meat eater. They call it."

"That reminds me of how I meet you father." Trish softly said.

Harm thought for a minute, "You two lived in the same building. How does pizza factor into it?"

"Do you want to hear the story?" Trish asked.

Harm sat down next to her on the couch, "I would love to."

Trish smiled at her son, "It was early 1962, I was living in this old apartment building with two girlfriends. The three of us were just starting out in the real world in LaJolla. Well, there had been these two young men who moved into the building. You father and Tom Boone. My roommates had seen both of them and fallen madly in love. I told them this guy didn't exist. That there is no way a man could have a melt-your-knees smile and a great body to go with it."

Harm smiled at his mother, thinking about his father.

"One night I ordered pizza from the place down the street. They were having a slow night so they said that they would deliver. So I wait for my pizza, 20 minutes pass, then 30. I go to open the door and there standing at my door is the most arrogant man I have ever meet. Eating my pizza." Trish started to laugh. "I looked at him and asked if I could help him with anything. Then he smiled and I swear the floor went out from under me and he looked so good. He then said with a slight accent, 'You ordered this pizza do you mind if we split it?' I just looked at him and said sure."

"You two meet over a pizza he stole from you?" Harm asked her.

"I make it sound more romantic. After a few dates and stole pizzas I found myself falling for him. It wasn't his dress whites or his smile, it was him and those eyes. I loved everything about this man. But we had our troubles, one night he told me he as going to be shipped out. That's when it hit me that he could actually love something more then me. Well, I was not about to have this man break my heart. I believe you get your stubbornness from me." Trish said pointing at herself.

"Well, I walked down to his apartment the night before he and Tom were to ship out. I go up to Harmon and I told him that we were from two different worlds and that it would never work. I was lying, but he let me say it. He then looked at me and said, 'We're not that different. I laugh, I love, I hope, I try, I hurt, I need, I fear, I cry and I know you do the same things too. So we're really not that different, me and you.' I then shook his hand and wished him luck." Trish started to laugh, "He then grabbed me and kissed me for the first time. I've never been kissed like that before. He said all those words to me again, but with his emotions. He then let go of me and said 'I'm going to marry you.' Then he said good night."

"A few months pass and my roommates are ready to kill me. I'm crying over Harmon. I have fears that he won't come back. I'm hoping that I didn't hurt him too much. I then told myself that I was in love with him." Trish then looked at her son, "He returns. He and Tom get their apartment back. Their first night there I find out that Harmon has ordered pizza. So I stole his and I knocked on his door. He answered and I said to him with tears falling out of my eyes, 'I laugh, I love, I hope, I try, I hurt, I need, I fear, I cry and I know you do the same things too. So we're really not that different, me and you.' He looked at me, took the pizza and threw it on the floor." Trish then started to blush. "The next thing I clearly remember is waking up in his bed, in his arms, and neither of us wearing a lick of clothing."

"Mom!" Harm said to her.

Trish just laughed at Harm's embarrassment. "Well, now that he and I admitted that we loved each other we decided to meet the parents. I fell in love with Sarah Rabb the moment she sweep me into her arms. I saw right then and there everything the meant anything to Harmon. He worshipped the ground she walked on." Trish then poked Harm in the shoulder, "Just like you and Sergie do."

She took a deep breath, "Well Sarah took to me so quickly. I just knew my parents would love Harmon. I had this picture of the two of us walking into the house and Mom just falling in love him and Dad calling him son." Trish then started to laugh, "I couldn't have been more off the mark."

"My parents hated him. They were snobs. Harmon was raised on a farm, he's in the Navy, he flies planes. My family had money and I had dreams about running a gallery. My parents wanted me to have a better life. But Harmon was my better life. He showed me things that were wonderful. Like flying in old planes and kissing in the rain with no shoes on. He brought out the little things in life." Trish paused for a second. "The plan was for Harmon and I to stay with my parents for a week. My father said the reason why he hated Harmon was because he asked him what he thought of me. Your father thought for a minute and he said, 'Sir, Trish is heaven to me.' My father did not like that response and refused to let him sleep in the same house as me."

"I was outraged, your father was going to play by their rules. Until my father told Harmon if he stepped on foot near me he would find himself attached to an anchor of a ship and no one would miss him." Trish gave a soft smile, "That night Harmon took my father ladder and leaned it against the house and knocked on my window till I opened it. I opened the window and came into the room. Then he dropped to one knee and asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes. Then he said that we were going to runaway. I got dressed, packed, and wrote a note telling my family that I was getting married to Harmon Rabb."

Trish lost her smile, "I left, got married, a few months later Harmon and I found out we were pregnant. Sarah was so happy when she found out you were coming. Well, you were born and I called my parents for the first time in about one year. You're father made me do it."

She took a deep breath, "Though tears I told my father he had a grandson who was perfect and who would melt hearts with his smile and eyes like his daddy. My father told me that he didn't think anyone would ever be good enough for me and that there might be a chance that Harmon was OK. They came up that night and meet you."

Trish then wiped her eyes, "I loved your father very much. I never meet anyone so passionate and caring. He treated me like I was heaven. And oh, how he loved you. I see him in you. As I get to know Sergie, I see him there too." Trish then locked eyes with Harm, "Promise me that when you find the woman you are going to spend you're life with you treat her like heaven."

Harm just smiled at his mom, "I promise. But not many women are knocking at my door saying they need me."

"Hey you father stole my pizza. You never know Harm, she may be on the other side of your door one day." Trish said to him.

Harm laughed, "Yeah, I'm going to open my door to find the woman of my dreams eating pizza and telling me she needs me."

"Well, Harm if she doesn't knock. Can I recommend a girl?" Trish said as there was a knock at the door.

Harm stood up and answered the door. "Hey, Julie was out there so I paid for your pizza. Hope you don't mind I stole piece, I'm hungry. I also need your help on something." Mac said to him as Harm stared at her funny. "Harm are you OK?"

Harm then gave her his sly fly-boy smile and said, "I'm fine come on in."

**The End**


	3. Second Generation part 2

Title - Love Family Style - Second Step-Generation

Classification - S, R (slight Harm and Mac)

Spoilers - not really sure, but I'm something

Disclaimer - I own nothing. Nor do I admit to owning anything. If I really owned anything do you think it would take me 15 years to pay back my students loans.

Summery - Ever wonder where and how Trish meet Frank

Author's Notes - The songs 'And We Danced' and 'He Didn't Have to Be' by Brad Paisley were the inspirations for this and lyrics are thrown into the story.

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**Burnett Residence**

**LaJolla, California**

**Saturday September 7, 2002**

Harm and Mac are in LaJolla wrapping up a case. Mac is finishing the reports so Harm could spend the day with Frank and his mother. His Mom was called to the gallery, another temperamental artist was flying off the handle again. His mom left with the words, "I won't be long Darling. Spend the time with Frank." Words that scared Harm worse then anything when he was teenager.

Harm is in the living room looking at the family pictures on the wall, he finds himself staring at the picture of Frank and Trish on their wedding day. "You all right, Harm?" Frank ask as he enters the room.

"I've been doing some thinking lately." Harm said.

"About what?" Frank asked as he sat down on the couch.

"How people get together. When Sergie and I visited Grandma, she told me the story about her and Grandpa. Mom told me the story about her and Dad when she visited me a few weeks ago." Harm said as he watched Frank smile.

"Trish told me she was happy to finally meet Mac." Frank said explaining his smile.

"She was happy, now Mac's got blackmail against me. Mom gave her baby pictures." Harm said as he sat down in an overstuffed chair, "How did you and Mom meet?"

"You don't remember?" Frank asked.

"Frank, I was a jerk towards you as a kid. I spend most of the time trying to pretend you didn't exist." Harm admitted to his step-father.

"Did you know that I have a bartenders degree and my license?" Frank asked.

"No, but what does that have to do with the story?" Harm asked him.

"Well, my friend Jackson Cloud, owns a bar called Cloud 9. One night his bartender called in sick and Jack asked if I could do him a favor. He asked me to work that night for him. Jack and I go way back so it was no problem." Frank said as he gave the back story to the story.

"On the night in question I was working and I notice the group of women in the bar, they were celebrating something. They only stayed for drinks then they left, but one of them forgot her purse. So I put the purse behind the bar and didn't really think about it. A little after 2am I'm cleaning up the bar and in walks a beautiful woman." Harm smiles as Frank tells of meeting Trish for the first time.

"I tell her that were closed. Then she informs me that she left her purse here. So I tell her that there was a purse left and I go get it. I pick it up from behind the bar and as I hand it to her our hands brush together. It felt like a spark went through the room. She starts to thank me for holding on to her purse and she tries to leave."

"But I tell her she can't leave yet. This upsets her slightly. I smile and tell her that she can get it back if she dances with me. There's a radio station playing something light behind the bar." Frank takes a breath. "For about three seconds she just stared at me, I thought she was going to hit me. But she just smiled and said sure. So she places her purse down on the table and we dance."

Frank gave Harm a pretty big smile, "As we dance we're talking about different things. I just keep thinking to myself that this woman is wonderful and I have to get to know her better. After the dance I ask for her number and if she would be willing to go out with me. She smiles and say's she would like to, but that I should know that she has a son."

Harm hung his head slightly at those words as he thought about how he treated Frank as a kid. Frank notices this and continues, "I tell her that is fine and that if he is anything like her, he must be great." Harm looked at Frank and gave him an odd look. "Well two weeks later Trish and I go out. Do you remember that night?"

Harm took a deep breath, "Yeah, you picked her up, I was waiting on the couch with the baby-sitter. You walked over and introduced yourself and I shook your hand. Mom kissed me goodbye and I remember you looked at the both of us like no other man she ever went out before."

"I knew that Trish loved you very much and she wanted you to be happy." Frank explained.

"Then you and Mom get to the door to leave you whisper something to her. Man, right then and there I didn't like you." Harm said causing him and Frank to chuckle. "But you asked me if I wanted to join the two of you at the movies and dinner."

"You got the biggest smile on your face, because we were going to see something that Trish wasn't going to let you see with your friends." Frank said as he remembered the smile from a little boy who didn't like him when they first meet. "So the three of us go out and have a pretty good time. When we got home, you had fallen asleep in the car so I offer to carry you into the house. I follow Trish into the house and put you in your bedroom."

"As I'm leaving I Trish ask if we can go out again. She told me that she's never been out with a man before who took a liking to her son. I laughed and told her that I would love to spend more time getting to know him and her better." Frank laughed as he remembered the date. "So we deiced to go out a few more times. Very quickly I found myself falling in love with her and you."

"I remember the night you proposed. You and Mom thought I was in bed, but I was sitting at the top of the stairs listening to your conversation. When I heard you ask her, I felt like I was betraying my father." Harm told Frank.

"Why would you feel that way?" Frank asked.

Harm took a deep breath, "I was hoping that she would say yes. I liked you, you were the first one of the guys she dated to treated me like a person and not like a kid. But she didn't say yes at first."

"No, she didn't and that scared me worse than anything in the world. I asked her and she stood up, walked over to the radio and turned it on. Then she looked at me and said she would say yes if we danced." Frank smiled as he remembered holding the most beautiful woman in the world in his arms the night he proposed. "So we danced in the middle of the living room."

"I thought she said no." Harm said. "So I walked down to the bottom of the stairs and saw the two of you kissing. Then I thought Mom forgot about Dad."

"You mother has never forgotten your father. I think she loves him more today then she did thirty years ago." Frank said to Harm.

"I was a jerk as a kid." Harm said to Frank.

Frank tried not to smile, "I know."

Harm laughed, "At least your honest."

"Harm, I knew you would never treat me like you father. I never asked you to. I just wanted you to know that there was someone to help you." Frank explained.

"Did you know that my friends were jealous of me?" Harm said to Frank.

"Why?"

Harm looked at Frank, "Because my step-father came to all of my football, basketball games, and track meets. When their fathers or step-fathers didn't." Harm then he looked in his eyes, "It still means a lot to me that you did that. You didn't have to do anything of those things."

"Yes, I did." Frank said, then he explained. "You may not be my son, but I love you like one. When I married Trish, I got you too. Two people for me to love forever. I got the best deal."

Harm smiled at Franks words, "Thanks for being there Frank."

"Thanks for letting me be there." Frank returned Harm's feeling.

"There you two are." Trish said as she walked into the room. The two men smiled at her, "What have you two been talking about?"

Harm smiled at Frank, "History, Mom."

"Anything you care to share?" Trish said as she sat down next to Frank on the couch.

Frank put his arm around Trish's shoulders, "Nothing you need to know about, Dear."

"Is Mac coming up today?" Trish asked Harm with a smile, knowing that the two men wouldn't tell her about their conversation.

"She's finishing the report. I told her to call when she was done and I'd take her out to dinner." Harm said.

Trish smiled, "Well, I think that the four of us should go to dinner. She did volunteer to write the report so you could be with us today. It's the least we can do."

"I'll ask her when she calls." Harm said. Then his cel phone rang. Harm picked it up and looked at the message screen, "It's her now. Excuse me." Harm said as he stood up and started to talk to Mac on the phone.

Trish and Frank looked at each other. "So what did you boys talk about today?" Trish asked again.

"History." Frank said again.

Trish thought for a minute, "So you and Harm talked about history. I think tonight at dinner the four of us should talk about the future."

Frank gave his wife an odd look, "What?"

"I like Mac. She keeps him in line." Trish said with a smile, "I want her to be my daughter in law." Trish just stated to her husband.

"Let him get there on this own, Dear." Frank said to his wife.

"I've been letting him pick the pace for how many years now. A mother has to do what a mother has to do." Trish explained as she saw Harm smile as he hung up his cel phone. Harm then walked back into the living room. "What did she say?"

"She said dinner sounded fine." Harm told his mother.

Trish smiled, "Great we'll go to Christopher's. Do you have something nice to wear, Harm?"

"Yeah, I always pack a suit just in case. I'm sure that Mac did the same." Harm told his mom, "Just promise me no baby pictures."

"Why not?" Trish asked sounding innocent.

"She threatened to have one blown up and placed on the fridge at JAG." Harm said as Frank laughed. "Thanks for your help Frank."

"I'm not getting into this one." Frank said as he stood up. "I'll call Christopher's for reservations at 7."

"Sounds great." Trish said with a smile as Frank walked out of the room. "So what were you two talking about before I came in?"

Harm smiled, "History, Mom."

"You're not going to tell me." Trish said.

"No." Harm bluntly said to his mother.

"Well, maybe I'll tell Mac some more of your childhood stories." Trish threatened Harm.

Harm just smiled, "I think she is expecting some."

Trish smiled at Harm, "She is quite a girl."

"Yes, she is." Harm said as he thought about his partner in a different light then how he usually thought about her.

**The End**


End file.
